§ Mr. CartwrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the various establishments now occupying the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, indicating the number of people employed at each.
§ Mr. Sainsbury
Number of employees MOD Units Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance 1,256 Naval Publications Store 83 Air Publications and Forms Stores 105 RAF Movements Unit (London) 33 RAF Signals Unit 206 Ministry of Defence Police 50 Non MOD Units Books Supply Department (British Library) 24 Her Majesty's Customs & Excise Stores 50 National Maritime Museum 3 Civil Service Catering Organisation 14 Property Services Agency/Department of the Environment 65
§ Mr. CartwrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what plans for a new headquarters building for the directorate general of quality assurance at Woolwich arsenal were drawn up; and what costs have so far been incurred on the project;
(2) how long the location of the headquarters building of the directorate general of quality assurance has been under review; what sites have been considered during that period; and when a decision will finally be taken.
§ Mr. SainsburySketch plans for a headquarter building at the royal arsenal, Woolwich for the quality assurance directorate (ordnance) were completed in 1983 at a cost to the Property Services Agency of £300,000. This directorate502W became part of the directorate general of defence quality assurance in 1984. Since then the directorate general has concentrated on three of its five original sites and a dozen sites in the midlands and the north and south of England including the royal arsenal have been studied by accommodation staffs for suitability as a single headquarter location. This is an expensive project and a decision will be taken when the complex and continuous preparatory work of exploring options is complete.